The Percy and Nico Chronicles
by Encantadora Rosa
Summary: Nico comes to terms with his feelings for Percy while Percy struggles with his. Percy/Nico slash. Annabeth makes some appearances regarding her relationship to Percy. Rated PG-13 for sexual themes and NOT FOR ORIENTATION OF THE CHARACTERS. I hate when people automatically assume it's M because it consists of a gay pairing. (5th June, '13. -taking a hiatus.)
1. The Sea Salt Cripple Dance

******Title:** The Percy and Nico Chronicles  
**Author:** Encantadora Rosa  
**Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians**  
**Rating:** T/PG-13. Sexual themes AKA kissing. Nothing more suggestive than 'ripping off a jacket' :3 Minor swearing. (Hell, freaking, friggin' etc.)  
**Pairing: Percy/Nico. References to Percy/Annabeth**  
**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN THE BOOKS, CHARACTERS, NOTHING. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO RICK RIORDAN. PLEASE DO NOT SUE! I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS. IF I DID OWN IT, OH, THE PAIRINGS I WOULD MAKE. (PERCICOOOO) What I do own is the plot IN THIS FANFIC AND NOT THE BOOKS. Nothing else. I also do not own the lyrics to the song 'Dying' by Hole. Again, NO MONEY IS BEING MADE OFF IT SO PLEASE DO NOT SUE :3

**Description: My first proper one shot. I didn't proof read it very well, please notify me of the mistakes if you can. Nico and Percy are OHEMGEE SO CUTE TOGETHER. I'm not very good at this, forgive me for anything that annoys you. Let me know in the review. Um, to the homophobic peeps YOU ARE NOT WELCOME. **

* * *

"Keep in touch, Nico."

Percy watched as Nico trudged off into the woods. The boy was gone. After all they'd been through he was glad that they were on good terms. Nico had been acting a bit strange lately, but that was expected.

"There goes a very troubled young man."

Percy spun around to see Dionysus standing there.

"Walk with me."

As Percy and Dionysus walked back to the camp, talking and what not, Nico emerged from behind the trees. Staring at Percy's back a pang of want spread through him. He kicked a rock in frustration. Nico couldn't leave just yet. Percy needed to know. It wasn't like Percy would just accept it…and then there was Annabeth to think about. But it had to be done. They'd meet again and awkward or not, Percy would come to know how Nico felt.

Why did this have to be so difficult?

* * *

Percy couldn't sleep. He had been tossing and turning restlessly for the past 2 hours. He'd been thinking; thinking about Annabeth, Grover, Nico, Tyson, Rachel and Dad. Waking Annabeth to talk to now wasn't an option. Besides, he didn't want to risk rising her whole cabin.

A walk at the beach would suffice.

Percy jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans. Taking a look at the cabin, he opened the doors and began walking to the beach. It was past midnight. Everything was so quiet that he made an effort to walk slowly. Breaking the silence didn't feel right. He crossed the Mess and the Climbing Wall and he began to smile. They brought back memories. Some bad, some good.

As Percy neared the beach he was about to let himself go all out when he realized he wasn't the only one present. A boy was sitting on a rock languidly, his clothes all black and his hair a chaos. The shadows formed from the moon seemed to bow towards him.

_Nico_ thought Percy, grimly.

He treaded up to the boy his shoes slipping into the sand every now and then. The sea kept spraying salt water. The stars twinkled brighter than usual. Percy felt like he didn't know what he was getting into. But this was the sea. He felt safe here.

"Hey, Nico, I thought you had gone," said Percy.

The boy in the hoodie did not say anything.

Percy took a deep breath and continued. "Do you need anything? Like, I thought you were going to your father for answers…and other stuff. Are you alright?"

The only sound that could be heard was the splashing of waves against the rocks.

Nico's face was hidden in the shadows. If Percy had seen his face he would have realized that Nico was not all right. His eyes were wet and his cheeks red. He twiddled his thumbs together nervously. Finally, he turned around, wiping his face of all expression.

"Percy, I need to give you something. I can't leave without…giving it to you," said Nico. His voice faltered a bit at the end. He stood up and neared the Son of the Sea God.

Nico's dark eyes looked into Percy's green ones. They were standing so close that Nico could see the flecks in his eyes. Percy was taller than him by a few inches but Nico had taken advantage of his combat boots. He looked at Percy, trying to make his gaze assertive and dominating.

This was obviously too much for Percy. It sure as hell was awkward, no doubt. Maybe it was a God of the Dead thing…maybe Hades did this to his prisoners before he was about to kill them…

The tension was killing him. They were so freaking close. He could count the freckles on Nico's nose and somehow, the messed up hair and dark eyes made Nico look older than he was. He looked _hot._

_WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I THINKING? HOT?_

"Sure man, but why? I mean it's nice of y-"

Percy was cut off mid sentence as Nico pressed his lips against Percy's. This time Percy had no doubt what all that was for. And for some reason, he _could not_ bring himself to break the lip lock. All he could think about was how Nico's lips were so warm for someone so cold. How Nico's hands were reaching for his hair. How he could feel Nico's heart beating. How this kiss felt better than Annabeth's. How he could smell Nico's hair.

How he was getting warm in the face and began to return the kiss.

_What am I DOING? I'M NOT EVEN GAY! This guy is younger than me. This is WRONG, WRONG AND WRONG._

Percy broke the kiss. Nico looked at him reproachfully yet a defiant spark in his eyes flickered. Before Percy could say a word Nico began unzipping Percy's jacket.

"NICO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I COULD CHARGE YOU FOR MOLESTATION, MAN!" said Percy, breathing heavily. Nico backed away.

"You returned the kiss," said Nico. "You liked it."

Percy looked down, reddening. Why did he return the kiss? This was so laughable yet so serious.

"Look Nico, it was probably a heat of the moment thing...I mean..." Percy trailed off his sentence leaving it incomplete and hanging with a sense of subordination. Was he giving in?

As Nico began to realize what he had done the cheeks of the boy began to redden.

_I unzipped his jacket…WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? He's older than me..oh man. _

"Look…Nico, if you want to talk to someone…"

Percy looked at Nico uncertainly. He wasn't sure what the troubled teen would say. After all this…well, one didn't know what to expect.

Nico wiped his lips and turned away. There was a sense of finality about this.

"I'm sorry I did this, Percy. It's just that I've always known this…thing in me. I like you, I like you a lot. Kinda like a penchant for you? I don't know. It was so befuddling during the Bianca thing. I didn't know what to do. It wasn't fair. You seem pretty unorthodox to me and I don't know about your ahem, sexuality but that isn't even the point. I'm babbling. Well, I had to let you know, you see. I couldn't leave without it. Don't worry, I won't tell Annabeth. Go kiss her all you want. I hope you get the gist."

Nico's voice had hardened by the end of his confession even though it had started out rather uncertain. Percy wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. His heart was still racing. It felt right yet so wrong. Like Percy had been derived of secret bliss that he should have discovered years ago.

Nico seemed to understand the enigma Percy was coming to terms with. He smiled. "You may find out you're not so different yourself, Percy." said Nico wryly. Then he stalked off to the coast. Percy wanted to stop him but something held him from doing so. He needed to think this over. Or maybe it was best if no one knew about this. He put his head in his hands. This was all Nico's fault. Nico was a kid even though he was only slightly younger than him. How did that boy pluck up the nerve? Muster up the courage?

When he looked up, Nico was gone. This time, for real.

* * *

_Have you seen a cripple dance?_  
_Pay your money, baby_  
_Now's your chance_  
_Eyes like cyanide_

* * *

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT IN THE REVIEW :D Criticism is totally welcome. Oh, and any ideas for future one shots? AGAIN HOMOPHOBES, DO NOT LIKE IT, DO NOT READ. PLEASE DON'T TEACH ME MY VIEWS.  
Anyone else with a huge love for this pairing? So far none of my friends :3**


	2. Missed Me? Now You've Gotta Kiss Me

**Rating : Same as last chapter, some mentions to cigarettes and 'clothes off'.  
****Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN THE BOOKS, CHARACTERS, NOTHING. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO RICK RIORDAN. PLEASE DO NOT SUE! I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS. IF I DID OWN IT, OH, THE PAIRINGS I WOULD MAKE. (PERCICOOOO) I also do not own the lyrics to the song 'Missed Me' by The Dresden Dolls. Again, NO MONEY IS BEING MADE OFF IT SO PLEASE DO NOT SUE :3

**Note time: I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE ATROCIOUS MISTAKES I MADE IN THE LAST CHAPTER. I hadn't proof read it. BIG MISTAKE. I just went through it again. I CRINGED ALL THE WAY. How do you stare at someone again after staring at them once? Why am I so freaking stupid?. The last chapter also had so MANY CLICHES. 'derived of secret bliss' WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING? **

**ALSO - Percy and Nico have a 3 year difference and I kinda forgot that. Um, I should really have done the research first. So just forget about that? I'll try to cut out mentioning the age difference from now on because I've already embarrassed myself in the first chapter. So, yeah :)**

**Andromeda Luna : YESSS! After years of searching :D Yes, the one shots will be in sequence and connected. It starts from the end of The Battle of the Labyrinth and will probably end somewhere near The Last Olympian. I may go into the future, but not sure about that. Thank you so much :D That would be really nice of you :3**

**StuckInTheClouds : ANOTHER ONE :D I am feeling so happy today xD SAME. I get all fluffy and giggly and happy and they are just SO CUTE 3 THANK YOU SO MUCH :D**

**Note : I've replaced the previous chapter, couldn't stand some of my grammatical errors but I let the cliches be. Also, there'll probably still be some errors as I'm just too lazy.**

* * *

**Percy's POV, try not get confused. I wrote it in third person and it didn't sound that good so I changed it to his POV. **

* * *

After he left, it felt like I could forget it. Or at least keep it a secret and none would be the wiser. I and Annabeth could continue where we left off, Nico could be the little kid who played Mythomagic and I could be Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson with girl troubles in his life, not _guy_ troubles. I could live a happy normal life. Or as normal as it gets when you're a demigod.

But at the same time I couldn't. This is where it would get difficult, pondering over how I felt about him late at night. My thoughts moved in a sinuous way. I still remembered what Nico had said to me before he left.

_ "You may find out you're not so different yourself, Percy."_

This is what got me every time. The kid was so much younger than me; it didn't feel right to be taking advice from him. Yet he had been the one who kissed me and he had been the one who confessed that he, well, liked me. We'd have to meet again and this time I would have to have an answer.

* * *

For the whole summer I tried to be as normal as possible. I would ignore the Nico thoughts and try to shove them down to my stomach. I and Annabeth would hang out a lot, talking about the future and Kronos. But sometimes she would bring up 'us' in a really earnest voice that would intimidate me. I would start to freak out and change the subject to something less related to Nico. (Actually this wasn't really related to Nico but it was for _me_. I really needed to stop thinking about that guy.)

Grover knew something was up. The empathy link and everything had given him at least a vague idea of what I was feeling. He would ask me weird questions like if I happened to have a thing for guys, that it was all right if I did and that he'd be there for me. I would just laugh and ask him where he got that from. Grover would shrug but that didn't stop him from not being suspicious. It was hard to withhold secrets from him.

So the day before we left for home, I told Grover. How Nico had kissed me, how I had felt _something_ and how I didn't know what to do about it. He seemed to consider this for a moment before saying that it was probably just a phase and attributed it to my 'experimental' teenage brain.

As for Nico kissing me, he didn't have an answer. He had simply bleated and nervously looked at me and said "I don't have a good feeling about him, Perce. As for you swinging the other way, uh, that's cool man. But you should tell Annabeth,"

I had simply put on a feeble smile and mumbled something about not being sure.

"Thanks, G-Man."

* * *

To say my birthday party was surprising is an understatement. Paul wanting to propose to my mother, Poseidon crashing the party and most of all, Nico showing up like nothing had happened.

When Nico went all puppy eyed on the blue cake I couldn't help but feel bad for him. It wasn't like he got to have birthdays and eat cake whenever he wanted to. He said he was here to talk about Luke and that probably was true but we both knew there was more to that.

My mom helped make things less awkward. I doubt she knew about me and Nico (I'm speaking like we have history now. Really, Percy, shut up.) Being the amazing mother she is she gave Nico twice the amount of cake anyone could eat and joked around with him. Moments like these made it easier to forget anything had happened. He didn't seem like the mature boy at the beach anymore. He was a kid again.

But Nico kept glancing at me in the middle. I knew that because I kept 'stealing' looks at him as well. I know it was stupid but something just took hold of me and went:

"Mom, can Nico stay overnight?"

_WHY, PERCY, WHY? What is wrong with you?_

Nico almost spat his cake out. Then opening his eyes in realization and turned red. He started to chew quickly while looking at his plate.

"Sure, honey," said my mom. She smiled and ruffled Nico's hair which made him cringe a little. I went back to eating my cake and prayed that Nico wouldn't say anything. Why did I have to do that? It just came out.

I was worried that she might pick something up about me and Nico. I mean, I hadn't invited him for…kissing and stuff. It was about serious talk. Luke, Kronos and the impending disaster that was hanging above our heads while we sat and ate cake.

_Not _for kissing or whatever. Gods, I was changing.

* * *

"So, what did you want to talk to me about? I mean, Luke and..."

I trailed off leaving the air heavy and uncertain.

We sat in my bedroom, Nico on the floor and me on my bed. He hadn't said much since I had made the offer for him to stay overnight. He kept playing around with his Stygian iron blade which freaked the hell out of me. I wasn't sure what to say anymore as Nico was being pretty silent about the whole thing.

It was around eleven. My mom had put in a mattress for Nico but he hadn't touched it. I sighed and looked outside of the window. We remained silent for some more time. It felt rather cold in the room.

"Why did you do that?"

I looked up. Nico's face was looking at me, hard and assertive. There was a little waver in his eyes, though.

"Do what?" I asked, trying to play dumb. I knew what he was talking about.

"Don't act stupid, Percy. You know what I'm talking about," he replied, his voice slightly cryptic.

I sighed.

"I...uh…well, you wanted to tell me stuff about Luke. So I figured that we should do it without the pressure of…time," I said, hoping I didn't sound stupid.

"Or was it because I kissed you that you wanted me to stay over?" he asked silently.

I cringed a little. I didn't know how to reply to this. I decided it was best if I didn't for I wasn't sure how I felt about it, to be honest.

My silence must have screwed the whole thing up. The hard look fell off his face, being replaced by a one of disappointment and guilt.

"Percy, I'm sorry if it made you feel awkward. I was feeling rather brave when I, you know…and well, I think we should talk about it later. I should go," he said, his voice flat. As he began to get up I got a strange feeling of desperation and scrambled out of bed.

"Hey, Nico, you don't have to go," I said starting to feel a little guilty. "Look, I just don't know how I feel about it…and then there's Annabeth. But I'm not going to lie, I have been thinking about."

Nico looked surprised. As if he wasn't expecting me to proclaim anything about the kiss. In fact, he was looking really cute now, standing over there with parted lips. His messy hair was looking hotter than usual and…

_PERCY, FOCUS!_

Nico began to walk to me. I'll admit, I was scared. Was he going to kiss me again? Oh man, or worse, push me onto the bed and start making out, like tongue make out? He probably thought I had a lot of experience with Annabeth…I've never even initiated a kiss before. Hell, I and Annabeth weren't even going out.

"Would you like it if I did it again?" he asked faintly. It was obvious that he wanted to seem forward and bold but in reality, he was actually coming off as nervous.

Nico was standing a meter away from me. I could smell a faint cigarette-y aura around him. This kid smokes?

I decided not to bring this up as it was obviously not the right moment. I noticed he had moved closer and we were almost nose to nose. You could almost feel the heat building up. He was staring at me with a determined expression.

_He has beautiful eyes…_

"Umm… well, it wouldn-"

He'd done it again. Pressed his lips against mine while I was trying to give a straight answer.

I returned the kiss without any hesitation. It felt less awkward this time.

Nico had definitely been smoking. It didn't disgust me or anything, it just made everything hotter. He had annoyingly soft lips and it was almost getting addictive.

My heart began to beat faster and it felt good, really good – I began smiling a little and I could feel his lips quirk a bit as well. My hands were on his shoulder and inadvertently began to go up to his hair. I was really getting into it when he pulled away. We were both breathless. Nico's olive skin was flushed and he looked more alive than I had ever seen him look.

"How was it?" he asked, his face slightly blotchy. The little jerk was smiling at me, daring me to say it was good.

"It was...exhilarating," I said, hoping I didn't sounding too cheesy. I was actually frustrated that he had pulled away while we were getting to the main part. My heart was still racing, albeit a little slower.

Nico seemed to sense this. "I'll stop pulling away when you start initiating the kisses."

_Initiating the kisses? We were going to do this again?_

Nico had a way of looking like a kid and at the same time looking really grown up. The way his huge dark eyes stared up at you. How his lips parted so naturally yet at the same time his disheveled dark hair and ratty clothes gave you the impression of someone who had been through a lot.

To be honest, I wanted to kiss him again but I also didn't want this to lead somewhere I didn't want it to go. Like with our clothes off. I _really _didn't want to be doing that.

Nico didn't seem to notice how I felt. Maybe he did and just chose to ignore it. He brought my head closer and began kissing me again, smiling as he did. Then he paused for just a second and whispered into my ear.

"Jackson, you like it. I'm not going to stop, not now, not ever,"

Okay, the kid had to stop acting like we were in a hot and dirty romance novel but yeah, I was probably bisexual.

* * *

_Missed me, missed me, now you've got to kiss me. _  
_If you kiss me, mister, I might tell my sister. _  
_If I tell her, mister, she might tell my mother and my _  
_mother, mister, she might tell my father and my father, _  
_mister, he won't be too happy and he'll have his lawyer _  
_come up from the city and arrest you, mister, _  
_so I wouldn't miss me if you get me, mister, see?_

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think of it? I don't like this a lot, to be honest. It doesn't feel right. Ah well. Also, notify me of the mistakes if you can? (Grammatical, cliches, whatever) I did proof read it, but only once. I'm soooo lazy, ugh. I might have changed their characters a bit...also, my Sally Jackson sucks. I had no idea how to portray her. My time verbs aren't the greatest either. So just let me know! :)**

**Any suggestions for future chapters? Thanks :-)**


	3. I Regret It The Most

******Rating: Same as last two chapters. **  
**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN THE BOOKS, CHARACTERS, NOTHING. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO RICK RIORDAN. PLEASE DO NOT SUE! I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS. IF I DID OWN IT, OH, THE PAIRINGS I WOULD MAKE. (PERCICOOOO) I also do not own the lyrics to the song 'We Were Children' by Tribes. Again, NO MONEY IS BEING MADE OFF IT SO PLEASE DO NOT SUE :3

**Description: Sorry for the kind of delay, I was busy-ish, aha. I'm also leaving for vacation in a few days so I'll try to get two more chapters/one shots out in a few days. If not two, then one. **

**I'm not sure if these are one shots or chapters. Whatever, live with iiiitttt. :)**

**I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK ANDROMEDA LUNA FOR PROOF READING THIS CHAPTER. As you all know, I'm a fail proof reader soo... ANDROMEDA IS AWESOME AND YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID. **

**StuckInTheClouds: Thank you :) JASONXLEO IS AMAZING AS WELL :D I prefer NicoxLeo though - it's really cute when you find the right fanfiction :D And don't worry, fangirling is a way of life ;)**

**Guest: Updating now :D Sorry for the delay, I'm just so ehhh in life xD**

**I repeat, Andromeda is awesome.**

* * *

"And you, Percy, can practice with young Nico. I'm afraid that his skeleton craft won't work at all times during the battle," said Chiron, trying to hide his distaste for the uncomfortable and ethereal 'weapons' Nico used.

"His Stygian iron dagger may not help in times of danger – every demigod must know how to handle a sword," Chiron continued. "I still have my doubts about the boy, but we cannot overlook the fact that he _is_ powerful."

Percy didn't know what to feel about 'training' Nico. He hadn't seen the young demigod since his birthday where they had shared a kiss. Nico had descended to the Underworld to overlook 'family matters' and had not talked to him properly about the plan to defeat Luke. Ever since then, Percy wanted to, and at the same time didn't want to see Nico. Now that he was back from the Underworld, everyone just saw them as good friends. Nothing more and nothing less.

The thought of 'coming out' passed his mind a few times but it made him cringe. Maybe if they just kept it on the down-low no one would find out until he was like, I don't know, forty.

Truthfully, it was Annabeth he was worried about. Yes, he liked her but it was hard to imagine him ever loving her. He imagined them as a teenage romance which faded over the years. Nico? Well, he had no problem seeing himself fall in love with Nico.

Okay, 'falling in love' made him cringe.

She would probably stop talking to him, but they'd fought a lot in their five year friendship. In the end, they always made up. He and Annabeth would still be best friends, right? It was hard to imagine life without Wise Girl rolling her eyes at him and punching him in the shoulder playfully when you did something stupid. Grover knew about it – he seemed pretty okay with it, but like Chiron, had his doubts about Nico. In a totally different area, though.

A few months ago, Nico would have been the silent and scarred boy who carried his problems with an air of sadness. Now he was the cheeky and intelligent, yet nervous young boy who still had the 'Goth' element but felt much more real. He was almost reminded of the Nico he had first met. It scared him a bit though.

* * *

"So…hey, Nico," Percy said, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

They were alone in the arena, everyone else being busy doing their own thing after lunch. Mrs. O'Leary was gamboling around a little distance away.

Nico smirked. "Hey, Percy. Thought you'd back out. Come to train me? I don't need to learn, I train with the dead."

"That may be true…but uh, Chiron said so…"

Nico's eyes started to show hints of annoyance. For some reason, this made Percy feel guilty, as if he'd disappointed Nico in some way.

And why was Nico acting like nothing had happened?

"See you later, Percy. I really don't need to do this."

Nico sheathed his sword back into its cover and began to walk away. Percy stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before panicking and stumbling after him.

He began to think that he was the girl in this so called 'relationship'.

"_NICO_, don't you remember anything?"

Yup, he was definitely the girl.

Nico stopped and looked back. He was smiling dryly, as if this was a big joke.

"You're that desperate, are you?" he asked. "You want me to..." Nico came closer. "Kiss you?"

"What? No! I mean…"

"Okay, how about we duel? Just you and me, Percy."

The 'you and me' gave rise to something which he didn't think he'd ever experienced before. He liked the way Nico said his name. The soft , yet deep and rough voice with a hint of an Italian accent ran shivers down his spine.

"Um, sure. That's what I was going to say," said Percy.

_I wasn't going to say that, LIAR!_

"I'm sure of that," Nico said. An annoying wry smile was playing around his lips.

Nico sure was growing fast. He'd grown another inch again. He was wearing his standard aviator jacket, black jeans and combat boots. His hair, as messy as ever, had grown past his neck. Percy wondered if the kid ever looked at himself in the mirror. He also noticed that Nico was pretty skinny for someone who had apparently been training with the dead. Shouldn't he have some visible muscles at least?

"No Stygian iron dagger, Nico," said Percy, glad that he was in control again. It was annoying how Nico controlled his emotions so much, despite being the younger between the two. "You'll need to use a sword."

Percy threw him a sword which Nico, surprisingly caught by the right end. He examined it for a few seconds before mumbling something about how he was pretty adept at using all weapons.

Nico came closer to Percy and for a moment he thought they were going to kiss. Then he realized that Nico had a sword.

_Idiot._

Percy uncapped Riptide, feeling better that he had the edge in the duel with Celestial Bronze. Riptide had never really failed him.

Nico raised his sword and without any hesitation, brought it down. Percy parried the stroke, surprised that Nico had the strength to resist it.

They then backed away, and started moving in circles. Percy gripped the hilt of his sword, prepared to lunge if needed. After a few moments he realized that Nico was playing defense and not offense. He charged forward, bringing Riptide down on Nico's blade. Nico counter-attacked and slashed his sword, barely missing Percy's abdomen.

Nico is good, thought Percy as he tried to avoid Nico's gaze whenever their swords clashed.

The fight went on, and soon the boys were dripping in sweat. None wanted to accept defeat, though. Nico had taken the liberty of removing his jacket while Percy was circling him. His shirt was sticking to his small body.

It was funny how tiny Nico brought his sword down, as if doing it used up all his strength. Nico wasn't to be underestimated, though. Nico knew some pretty vicious ways to kill and Percy was sure Nico just wasn't using them on him.

It did get frustrating after some time though, when all they heard was 'clang' and 'whoosh'.

"Give up, Nico. You know you can't win this," Percy said. He hadn't meant it to come out so harsh, but fighting had brought back the dominant Percy in him.

Nico just smiled his annoying smile and continued to attack. But he was breathing heavily - slowly, but surely Nico's strength began to give away.

Percy decided to give up fair play. Nico seemed to be using his 'dead' spirits in the fight as he felt that something was definitely holding him back every time he tried to lunge. He pushed Nico against the wall, his free hand clasping Nico's tiny wrist. Though quick at moving, Nico did not have the strength to push Percy away. Percy grinned widely at the teen below him. Though growing, Percy had at least six inches on Nico.

"This isn't fair," Nico muttered, swinging his blade at Percy. Using his sword to parry the attack, Percy pushes the blade away and it clattered onto the ground.

"Are your 'otherworldly' means fair?" Percy breathed out.

The position they were standing in suddenly came to their realization. Nico, forced against the wall. Percy, holding him there. With a sword.

"You have two options, Percy. You can kill me or…"

"Don't be crazy, I won't kill you. It's fun to have control over you though."

"_Kinky,_ Jackson."

"Gods, Nico, you need to stop saying stuff like that."

"Well, back to where we were…"

Nico looked up at Percy, his eyebrows raised. For once, it was Percy's choice. Percy could make a move. This time he couldn't blame it on Nico if he wanted to. If he did go closer, well, it'd be established that Percy wanted it.

Nico's face was still dripping with sweat. He was breathing heavily. They were so close that Percy could actually feel the warmth of it against his neck. He smelt like cinnamon and death. Weird combination, he noted. But he liked it.

"If you're scared-" began Nico's smug voice but Percy cut him off and kissed him full on the mouth. It was the first time he'd ever kissed someone -being, Percy starting the kiss - and damn, it felt good to be the one. Nico kissed back, but much more passionately which led to Percy blushing, because man, how did the kid have more experience at kissing than him?

Percy's sword fell to his side and he let go of Nico's wrist. As Nico leaned in for more, Percy ran his hands through Nico's hair. Percy's heart began to swell and he thought how Nico could kiss without blushing and without showing any emotion on his face. The kiss became more passionate and Nico began nibbling his lip. Percy chuckled.

_Way to ruin the moment, Percy._

Nico simply smiled and didn't say anything.

Percy pulled away and rested his forehead on Nico's. There was something satisfying about staring at Nico's face, the way his eyes looked back at you. They were breathless. For once , Percy felt completely satisfied. He could imagine doing this for the rest of his life.

Nico giggled, and kissed Percy lightly on the nose.

Wait, did Nico just giggle? Percy had never heard Nico giggle. Not in the childlike way he just did. This wasn't a naughty kiss, or an unexpected one. This was the cute one which made him start to like Nico.

It wasn't that Percy didn't like him; it was just that he still had doubts on the fact whether he could actually…date Nico. Nico could be hot, cute and mysterious – anything you wanted him to be. Percy leaned in to kiss him again.

"_What the hell are you two doing?_" came a voice from behind them.

Percy backed away at once, with his hands held up as though he was just caught by the cops. Standing across them was Annabeth Chase, her hands folded against her chest, her eyes blazing. Percy bit his lip.

_Never mind. I'll take the cops._

* * *

_We stood there  
Throwing ice cream in your hair  
Oh, how I solemnly swear  
It's the thing in life I regret the most  
Leaving you standing there  
And if you asked me  
I'd pull my eyes out  
And when I woke up blind  
If you forgave me I would sleep at night  
Knowing I've led a good life_

* * *

**What did you guys think? I have no idea how I'm going to do the next one but I'll figure something out xD Let me know what you thought of the chapter :) Also, I fail at writing fighting scenes so please excuse me if it irks you. If you have any ideas on what I can do to improve, let me know! Or any ideas for the the next chapter, let me know :) -TOO MANY LET ME KNOWS, I NEED TO FIND A NEW PHRASE-**

**I REPEAT : ANDROMEDA LUNA IS AWESOME. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE HER IN THIS WORLD.**

**I know that Nico has a blade/sword made of Stygian iron and not a dagger, but bear with me for this? :) I'm also crushing on Nico HARD. Whenever I think about him or read about him my heart starts beating really fast and I get all these pangs. Wtf is wrong with me? I can't wait for House of Hades to come ouuuttt. RICK, GIVE NICO A NARRATIVE, PLEASE. MY LIFE WILL BE COMPLETE. Oh man, I'm hyperventilating now. NICOOOO. **


	4. Would You Like To Go To Heaven Tonight?

**Rating : Same as last few chapters. **

**Disclaimer : I do not own anything you recognize. PJO character belong to Rick Riordan. I am not making any money out of this, please do not sue. I do not own the lyrics to 'Heaven Tonight' by Cheap Trick.**

**Notes : I don't really like this chapter. Just kidding. I actually LOATHE this. It's just so rushed and weird. There's not much feeling in this. Ugh. Also, wayyyyyy too much Annabeth, I guess. I just didn't know what else to do because I'm a fail at life. I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and won't be able to update over there - so I wanted to get this chapter over with. I'm really sorry for it being so suckish. UGGHHH, so rushed.**

**BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK ANDROMEDA LUMA FOR PROOF READING THIS. THIS CHAPTER WOULD HAVE SPUTTERED AND DIED IF NOT FOR HER. SHE IS AWWWWWEEEESSSOOOOOMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE. **

**Perseia : THANKS :D I love you 3**

**Andromeda : I was going to do something like that but now I'm rushed for time and everything. I'm going to incorporate everything into the next few chapters once I get back :D LONG REVIEWS ARE AMAZING. Thank you 3**

**Luchesi : :D Thankss :3 I love you :3**

* * *

"GOAT BOY!" screamed Annabeth, scrambling through the forest. "We need to talk!"

Annabeth tried to forget what she had just witnessed. I mean... It couldn't be possible, right? But the way they kissed – it was like they _loved_ each other.

No, no, no. It wasn't possible. Percy was going through a phase, or it was a dare or some stupid Aphrodite magic. Nico was an angst ridden teen and Percy was her lovable and awesome…friend. Okay, maybe she hadn't established it with Percy but it was going to happen. She'd had a crush on Percy ever since they had lifted the sky together.

Along with that, they were best friends - and best friends tell you when they are going through phases where they want to kiss guys. Creepy and weird guys.

Annabeth had been standing there, waiting for an answer. Percy had said _'Grover knew'_ as if that solved everything. Nico had cleared his throat awkwardly and Percy muttered something about leaving and sorting everything out.

He had walked towards her and she had stalked off before he could even say anything. Okay, it was selfish assuming Percy was hers. He didn't owe her an explanation. But this… Well, this was _big_. How long had it been going on? Why did she not know? Why did Grover know?

Ugh. This was annoying her.

Grover would probably be near Juniper's tree, drinking coffee or something. She heard some laughing and spun around.

Sure enough, Grover was holding a Styrofoam cup and munching apples in the clearing near Jupiter's tree. Juniper was seated next to him. They were clearly having a good time. Annabeth didn't want to interrupt but this was important.

"Grover," she said, clearing her throat. "I've been looking for you."

"Oh, hey Annabeth. Me and Juniper were just about to play Hacky Sack. Wanna join?" He asked grinning at her.

"No…Grover. About Percy. And um, Nico. You knew, right?"

The tension in the air increased dramatically. Juniper whimpered a little. Grover's grin faded away. He hesitated for a few seconds.

"Annabeth…you should sit down. Um, Percy and Nico have been uh…_experimenting _for a few months now. I'm not sure if 'experimenting' is the right word, as it's getting rather serious. I can sense it, the link and all."

Annabeth sighed. She leaned against a tree, her ponytail getting tangled in the rough bark.

"Is there any chance of…you know. Girls? Are you sure it isn't a phase?" she asked, her voice breaking a little.

"Maybe. But Annabeth, Percy really,really likes Nico. It may be a little uhh…unsettling to you but, um…" Grover trailed off chewing on his lower lip. Annabeth was getting a little teary.

Annabeth _never _got teary over guys.

"Why didn't he tell me?" she said, her voice thick and almost near the edge.

This time Juniper spoke up. "He probably felt guilty, Annabeth. You know how he is. He knows that there's something between the two of you after the kiss. He's just too nice to do anything about it. And you, uh, scare him a little, I suppose."

Everyone was silent for some time. Then, Annabeth spoke.

"I should get going, guys. Thanks." Her voice was empty and passionless.

Annabeth lumbered off through the trees as if nothing had happened.

Juniper made a little squeaking sound.

"Will she be fine?" she asked Grover timidly.

"She's Annabeth," replied Grover heavily. "She'll get over it."

* * *

"Percy, what do you think about telling everyone else now that Annabeth knows? I mean, I really like you and I think you really like me. All this hiding in cabins is a little unnecessary, don't you think?" said Nico, looking at the older boy next to him. They were sitting in the strawberry fields. No one was there except for a few nymphs sitting some distance away. The sun was setting behind them creating a somewhat dramatic backdrop.

Percy sighed. That was so Nico. Straight to the point. He didn't blush or giggle or 'ummm'. He would just tell you what he thought.

At the same time, it was true. People would anyway get to know. Annabeth already knew, so it was fine, right?

But Annabeth was a different story. They hadn't spoken for a week now. She wouldn't even look at him. Grover had told him that it was just normal girl behavior and she'd get over it – but Percy wasn't that sure. At least she wasn't telling everyone out of spite.

"Nico, I know this may sound stupid…but what will others say? I mean…"

Nico chuckled. "Percy Jackson, savior of the camp and Nico Di Angelo are going out. What will our dads say?"

Both of them laughed at the thought. It hadn't occurred to them that their parents weren't on good terms and would be more than miffed about this relationship.

But that wasn't what he had meant. It was above that.

"Yeah, I think we should tell people." said Percy suddenly. Something had taken hold of him, probably the fact that he might die in a few months. He tried not to think like that but the Prophecy still existed, whether he thought about it or not.

Nico seemed to sense this. He huddled closer to Percy.

"You won't die, Perce. Besides, remember my plan?"

Percy smiled gratefully at Nico. He tried not to show how friggin' scared he was, and instead leaned in for a kiss. It was a warm one. The kiss felt like his mothers chocolate chip cookies and ambrosia rolled into one. Percy put his weight on top of Nico and broke the kiss. Their foreheads were together and his arms were around Nico's waist. Nico had a little earth on his nose. Percy wiped it off and leaned in again.

"Holy Ares, what is going on here?"

Percy immediately rolled over. Standing behind them were Chris and Clarisse.

_Just my luck. Out of all the people who could've found us, it HAD to be Clarisse._

Surprisingly, Clarisse's face wasn't one of disgust or anything. She looked at them a little weirdly and opened her mouth as if trying to say something. Chris was embarrassed. He kept fidgeting with his sword and looking around.

Not to say that Percy wasn't.

"Clarisse…" said Percy tentatively.

Then Clarisse did the most shocking thing she had ever done. She grinned.

_"Who is this girl?"_ Percy thought

"I see Percy is growing up," she laughed (this time a little 'evil' in her voice). "Come on Chris, let's leave the lovebirds alone."

Clarisse stalked off with Chris, his arms around her. They were laughing and Chris kept planting kisses onto Clarisse's hair. A pang of envy spread through Percy. He wanted that. With Nico.

Percy turned around to look at Nico. Nico's face broke into a grin.

"Well, that wasn't so bad…was it?" asked Nico.

"No, it wasn't. It's actually a stepping stone for us, ghost boy."

Nico shrugged and pushed Percy down. He cupped his face in his hands and began to kiss him. The sky began to darken and everything became a little colder. The crickets began chirping.

A figure came up behind them.

"We need to talk, Seaweed Brain."

Percy stiffened. So did Nico.

Annabeth grinned.

"You guys are cute together. But that's not the point. I mean, we should talk," she said, her voice rushing through the sentence hurriedly as if she were afraid she would forget something.

_What the hell just happened with Annabeth? And what is it with people disturbing us?_

"Um, sure Annabeth," said Percy, wincing a little. Nico moved over and Annabeth sat between them. Percy looked at Nico and mouthed him a _'sorry'_.

"Percy…I understand why you didn't tell me. I just wanted to say, I hope this doesn't come between our friendship. You're the closest friend I've ever had. After Luke, I couldn't trust anyone…and…well, I liked you. I don't know if I still do but, it's weird." Her voice was still moving fast and there was some nervousness which could be detected.

It went on for some time, with Annabeth confessing and Nico and Percy awkwardly answering. She went on about how she had talked with Grover and how it was silly to throw a friendship out of the window because of something silly. Soon everyone began to talk, Nico actually laughing and Percy getting punched playfully by Annabeth. He had to admit, it was nice to have Annabeth there.

As for Nico, well, he was glad to be on good terms with Annabeth. She sort of scared him, with her general demeanor and her haughty air. (He'd never admit it, though)

"So, are you guys' official yet?" Annabeth asked her voice much happier. She actually liked Nico. Sure, the guy put on his loner image but he was actually pretty cool.

Percy and Nico shrugged. 'Boyfriend' and 'official' were words both of them avoided. They held too many meanings. What they were now was fine by them.

Instead of answering, Percy grinned at Annabeth. He began to realize just how much he had missed her. And for once, Nico wasn't jealous of Annabeth.

"It's nice to have you back, Wise Girl."

* * *

Down the line - don't go over,  
There's a limit-you went over.  
So much time - time runs out,  
Time ran out - make it down.

Would you like to go to heaven tonight?  
Would you like to go to heaven tonight?

* * *

**I repeat, SORRY. I'm surprised you made it this far. The tenses are all mixed up. This is such a messed up one :( Anyway, I won't be back till May 5th and I won't be able to update from where I am. So, that's that. Ah, well.**

**I messed up Annabeth's character and MAN, when did Clarisse become so nice? Oh man, that grammar. *shudders*. NEVER WRITE UNDER PRESSURE. That's all I can say. I had to complete this in half an hour so I couldn't think much.**

**I'd also like to apologize for not showing much Nico and Percy in this chapter. It's more of an Annabeth chapter. But I thought it was important to bring her in :)**

** Anyway, let me know what you think of it. (Not much, obviously.) Thanks for reading :-)**

**BUT I REPEAT : ANDROMEDA IS AWESOME. I OVERLOOKED SO MUCH THAT SHE POINTED OUT AND BLEW SOME LIFE INTO THISSSS. AWESOME BETA READER :D**


End file.
